weatherhead



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

' E. HpWE-ATHERHEAD;

HYDRAULIG AIR PUMP. v No. 514,608. Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

wAsmNaroru. a1 a p and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air- UNITED STATES PATENT Quince,

EDWARD H. YVEATHERHEAD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND FAUOET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AIR-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,608, dated February 13, 1894.

Application filed August 6, 1891.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, EDWARD H. WEATHER- HEAD,a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new Pumps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to hydraulic air pumps, and the invention consists in a pump designed to compress air by hydraulic pressure. To this end the pump is provided with a pairof flexible diaphragms or pistons between which are arranged the valves and pistons by which the flow of the fluid pressure is directed, first, against one diaphragm, and then against the other, and the waste water is exhausted, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a longitudinal central sectional view of the pump with the parts in one of the extremes of their movement, and Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view with the same parts in the opposite extreme position, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the arrangement of the parts as herein shown the diaphragms are at the ends of the casing, and the casing has a suitable base, 2, on which the pump rests. The two diaphragms 3 and a are each supported about their outer edge between the sections of the respective diaphragm casings 5, at the center thereof, and each casing has sufficient depth in cross section to give the diaphragnis the requisite back and forth play. The casing 5 is supported on the main casing 6, which contains the valve and piston mechanism and the fluid passages and channels, and has an inlet port, 7, and an outlet or exhaust port, 8. The two flexible pistons or diaphragms 8 and a are connected by a valve rod, 9, of a length equal substantially to the length of the main casing and the depth of one of the end casings or chambers 5, so that the diaphragms will operate as required and as hereinaiter more fully described. This rod has a bore, 10, running longitudinally through its Serial No. 401,868. (No model.)

middle portion for about one third its length, or thereabout, and at the ends of the bore are lateral fluid openings, 11 and 12.

'lVithin the outer casing or cylinder 6 is a combined valve and piston chamber having a cylindrical wall, 14, at the right of the inlet port, and a continuation 15 of said wall, of smaller diameter or cross section at the left of said port. This makes a differential valve cylinder which is closed at its ends except as it has packed openings for the passage of the valve connecting rod 9 between the two diaphragms. The inlet port, '7, extends through the outer casing into this inner cylinder, and the discharge passage, 8, has a branched channel communicating with the inner cylinder, one branch or arm, 16, of which opens into the smaller end of the cylinder and the other branch or arm, 17, into the larger end of the cylinder. The two diderential valves 18 and 19 play between these two outlets, but do not cross them, while the piston 20 operates only in the larger part of the cylinder at the right and does not traverse the outlet 17. The two valves 18 and 19 and piston 20 are connected by cylindrical or tubular necks, 21, and 22,so that they are rigidly united and always move in unison. The neck 21 is hollow so as to form a fluid passage of some length on its inside, and has lateral openings or holes 23, through which communication is effected between the pressure fluid and the space behind the piston 20 through the channel 10 in rod 9, as shown in Fig. 2, and as hereinafter more fully described. The neck 22 likewise is hollow about the rod 9, and this hollow or channel extends through piston 20 into the valve 19 so as to enable the openings 12 at the right of channel 10 in rod 9 to hold communication through the channel with the space behind piston 20 when the diaphragms have moved to their limit to the left, at which time the piston 20 and its connected valves are at the extreme right of their movement, as seen in Fig. 1. The discharge from the space 25 in front of piston 20 occurs through the channel 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The pressure fluid is constantly at work on one diaphragm or the other, except when the valves cover slots and 52 and when it bears against one it is wholly relieved from the other. The two extremes of movement of the several parts are shown in the two figures. Thus in Fig. 1 the diaphragm 3 has gone to its outward limit to expel the air in that chamber through the orifice 26 into the valved head 27, whence the airis forced forward through pipe 28. The said diaphragm having reached this position, the valves 18 and 19 take the opposite position seen in Fig. 1. Here the valves are so located that discharge of exhausted pressure fluid from the left hand chamber occurs through slot or opening 30 in the small end of the valve cylinder and the outlet channel 16, while at the same time pressure fluid enters chamber 31 in front of diaphragm 4 through slot 32 and annular channel 33. The two connected diaphragms, with their valve rod 9, continue to travel together to the right until theopenings 11 pass the valve packing 35 and communicate with the chamber within neck 21 connecting the valves. When this occurs a pressure fluid channel is opened to the space behind piston 20 through the holes 23 and channel 10 in rod 9, and the said piston and valves at once begin to, travel to the left, continuing to the end of their stroke, shown in Fig. 2. Movement of the diaphragms in the opposite directions necessarily follows this change of position in the valves, as it is the express function of the valves to keep up this back and forth movement of the diaphraghms automatically. Now the slot 30 is uncovered for the admission of pressure fluid,

Fig. 2, while the slot 32 is passed by valve 19 and thrown into communication with the discharge chamber 34 and passage 17. The diaphragms will now move from the position seen in Fig. 2 to the reverse position seen in Fig. 1. Then as soon as the openings 11 in rod 9 pass the packing 35 the valves and their piston will travel back as before described.

The valve 19 and the piston 20 have equal area, so that they balance one another when they are under equal pressure. In that case, however, the pressure of the smaller valve, 18, asserts itself to overcome the equilibrium, and the two valves and piston are carried to the left. An example of this position is given in Fig. 2, where the pressure is on the face of piston 20 and on the valves 18 and 19.

It will be noticed as a feature of this construction that the diaphragms or diaphragm pistons, are rigidly attached to the connecting rod at the ends thereof, and the pistons are flexible to give them the requisite play.

I have purposely used the alternative terms diaphragms or diaphragm-pistons and pistons to designate the devices 3 and 4, because diaphragms as such and pistons as such are interchangeable equivalents, in this connection, requiring change only in the easings which receive them, and while I have shown my invention as embodied in an apparatus employing diaphragms and have named diaphragms in the claims, I wish to be understood as including in said claims the stated equivalent of such diaphragms, namely, pistons, and appropriate cylinders to receive them.

Any suitable open work connection that will serve the purpose may be used between the two valves instead of the cylindrical neck hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The main casing having diaphragm chambers at its ends and intermediate valve chambers, in combination with connected diaphragms in said diaphragm chambers, and connected valves in said valve chambers, and an actuating piston connected with said valves, substantially as described.

2. The casing having diaphragm chambers at its ends, and valve chambers provided with 'water passages opening into the said diaphragm chambers, and connected diaphragms in the said diaphragm chambers, in combination with two connected valves in the said valve chambers, and each of said valves con trolling the motive fluid to one of said diaphragms through the water passage leading thereto, substantially as described.

3. The casing with chambers in its ends, diaphragms in said chambers and a rod connecting them, in combination with a pair of differential valves sliding on said rod and controlling the motive fluid to said diaphragms, and a piston connected with said valves, substantially as described.

4. The casing and a pair of diaphragms in said casing connected by a rod, in combination with two valves and a piston in said casing rigidly connected together and having the diaphragm-connecting rod passing through them, the said valves controlling the motive fluid to said diaphragms, substantially as described.

5. The main casing having chambers at its ends and fluid passages in said casing, in combination with diaphragms in said chambers and a rod connecting said diaphragms having a Water passage through it, and a pair of valves and a piston rigidly connected and controlling the motive fluid to the diaphragms, and having said rod passing centrally through the valves and piston, substantially as described.

6. The main casing open at its ends, differential cylinders within the same provided with fluid passages, chambers at opposite ends of such casing, a diaphragm arranged centrally within each such chamber, air inlets and outlets on said chambers, a rod connecting such diaphragms and having a central fluid passage with lateral ports, and differential valves and a piston united and working in the said differential cylinders, substantially as described.

7. The combination, substantially as described, of a casing having at its ends aircompressing devices, a ported rod connecting IIO meeoe a ing devices, controlled by the difierential valves as they are moved through the medium of their motor piston, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this lfith day of July, 1891.

EDWARD H. 'WEATHERHEAD.

Witnesses:

H. 'l. FISHER, NELLIE L. MGLANE. 

